Vehicles may include various components that include a decorative stitching, such as the seats, the door trim, and the instrument panel of the vehicle. The decorative stitching may be applied to the vehicle components using a sewing process. In a conventional sewing process, a sewing apparatus inserts a needle into the article that is being sewn. The needle is subsequently removed from the article being sewn, and the article is moved with respect to the sewing apparatus, and the needle may subsequently be inserted again into the article, repeating the process.
As a result of the curvature and relatively large size of some vehicle components, it may be difficult to move the article being sewn with respect to the sewing apparatus. Instead, the sewing apparatus may be moved with respect to the article being sewn. However, movement of the sewing apparatus with respect to the article being sewn can introduce lateral stress in the needle, in particular, when the needle is inserted into the article being sewn and the sewing apparatus is moved in a direction that is transverse to the needle. Stress in the needle may lead to fracture, which may damage the article being sewn and may require replacement of the needle, leading to manufacturing losses and increased production costs. Accordingly, a need exists for alternative sewing apparatuses.